How to Select the Right Photographer for Your Wedding
“The groom always smiles proudly because he’s convinced he’s accomplished something quite wonderful. The bride smiles because she’s been able to convince him of it.” —Judith McNaught
Welcome back to another post in my wedding series. I know it's been long overdue. In this post, I would like to talk about some of the tips that I used to select my wedding photographer and videographer. This is probably the second most important thing that has to be booked right after the venue. For a bride, it is devastating to find a really good photographer only to find out that he or she has already been booked.Once you book your venue, some of them will provide you with a list of recommended vendors that they work with. This is the best place to start as most of them will already have a reputable business. Once you have the list, I recommend following the steps below:
- Determine what type of photographer you are looking for (candid, photojournalist, etc.).If you have no idea what any of this means, you can read more about it here. I didn't know they were different types of photography styles until I started reviewing different photographers.
- Create your own secondary list of vendors that you would like to see from The Knot or Wedding Wire
- Browse their website and read a lot of reviews
- Make your appointment
- If you've met a lot of photographers and you finally find one that you really like and they meet your budget, book them as soon as possible.
- Put down a deposit and schedule an engagement shoot with the person that will be shooting your wedding
I usually do a lot of my research about a vendor online prior to making an in person appointment. I eliminate a lot of vendors just by browsing through their work and reading reviews. I saw three different vendors and I knew that I was going book the third one before I even went to see them in person. I ended up booking a photo studio - this means that they have a lot of photographers on staff with different styles and you get to review all their work and choose the one that best fits you. If you are booking a studio, make sure you choose your selected photographer as quickly as possible so you can get the person that you really want.
Thank you guys for stopping by! Let me know how your wedding plans are going and if you need further info on the vendors that I've booked so far.
